Access denied.

"Are you sure you tried bypassing the tertiary aegis?"

"Shepard, I'm in the base code. I'm not even interfacing with any subsystems at this point." The young Quarian's impatience was starting to show.

"Did you want me to give it another try?"

"This isn't some random terminal or weapons locker Shepard." Tali took a deep breath. "I know you 'hack' quite a few things while out in the field, but this is orders of magnitude more complex. The wrong edit could leave us without life support or even eezo containment." She paused for a moment before continuing. "I've gotten deeper into the system than I expected I'd be able to, but I'm not any closer to overriding the lockout." She turned away from her console, and back to Shepard. "Not that it isn't incredibly helpful to have the commanding officer looking over my shoulder, but shouldn't you have the codes to override the system? You are the one in command. In the migrant fleet we would never imagine being able to prevent a ship from being controlled by her captain."

"As we've learned, it seems my command codes only have so much 'command' to them. I had no idea that the Normandy's systems acknowledged a higher authority than the CO."

"It isn't uncommon on Turian ships," Garrus chimed in from where he he had been watching from his vantage point, leaning against the railing next to Tali's console. "There always has to be a way for the fleet to maintain control." He turned his attention to Tali. "Humans have taught us a thing or two about speed and stealth, but they're learning just as much from us about guns and security. The system's Turian. You aren't going to be able to break it."

Tali turned her exasperation on Garrus. "How could you think I didn't know the system was Turian? I've been typing in Palatine for nearly half an hour!"

Garrus immediately backpedaled. "That isn't, what I meant was..."

"OK everyone, deep breath. Snipping at each other isn't going to get us anywhere." Shepard could tell that Tali was dangerously near a breaking point. "Let's assess. Garrus, you say she'll never be able to break it. Tali, you say you've made it further than you anticipated. I ask you both; Where are we now, and what does that get us?"

Tali spoke first. "I don't know Shepard. I can actually get the system to tell us a great deal about itself," she momentarily turned to Garrus, "Turian 'security' notwithstanding." Her focus returned to Shepard. "But I'm no nearer to getting it to accept any more than the lowest priority commands. Open a hatch? Turn on a light? I can do that. Activate the engines? I'm not any closer than I was four hours ago."

Shepard turned her attention to Garrus, who looked uncomfortable. "I'm sure this wasn't anything personal Shepard, but it really is common procedure with the Turian navy." His face brightened. "Turian navy. They'll have the codes, I'm sure of it. I can ask my father to contact the High Command and we should be able to..."

Shepard waved him to a stop. "As much as I appreciate you being willing to talk to your father about this, and I do approve of the fact that you're thinking unconventionally on this one, but do you really think the High Command will be willing to help us with what is effectively a mutiny?"

Garrus chuckled ruefully. "Probably not Shepard, but I'm positive you would have loved the story I would have had to concoct for my father."

Shepard grinned back. "I'm sure. OK, we still don't have control. Is it possible to access the various systems directly? Without going through the main computer?"

Tali's voice took on a horrified tone, easily recognizable even through her suit. "Are you serious Shepard? Do you know how difficult it is to calculate a relay jump? Or to navigate at FTL? I don't care how good a pilot Joker is, all that goes out the airlock when you aren't at sublight."

Shepard put up her hands in defense. "Hold on, I didn't mean go all manual, but how about computer control that isn't by the main computer? The mako's onboard computer is fairly robust. I'm sure you would be able to get it to execute navigation subroutines."

"That... isn't a terrible idea Shepard, but most of these systems are designed to work only with the main computer. We'd have to be able to emulate all the responses that the main computer would give, not just issue commands."

"But is it worth a try?"

"I still don't know Shepard. First I need to see how many simultaneous high level calculations the Mako can manage. I'm sure it offloads a great deal of comp cycles to the main computer."

"Let's go then. We're not making any progress sitting here." Shepard led the pair to the port hatch to the cargo bay.

Liara had observed in silence, waiting for an opportunity to assist. Although the Asari was hardly a novice with electronics, Tali's prowess at this type of security far exceeded her own, a weakness the maiden vowed to rectify in the very near future. As the trio walked towards her on their way to the mako, Liara chose not to join them. The Quarian was skilled, to be sure, but Liara was certain now that Shepard's initial estimate had been correct. This path was not going to get them off the Citadel. She did not follow when Shepard and Garrus passed her, Tali hurrying behind them to keep up with their longer strides.

She closed her eyes. Liara recognized that Alaya had been correct back on Thessia in her assessment of Shepard. The commander would not allow herself to fail. That certitude of purpose was one of strongest things that defined the spectre. Given Shepard's penchant for moralistic behavior, the young Asari was beginning to believe that the coming battle against the Reapers was going to eat away at the Human's conscience. She needed to postpone the kind of decisions that were coming for as long as she could. There was still one logical means off the Citadel open to the spectre, and the maiden knew she was running out of time to pre-empt it.

Liara spun on her heel and strode resolutely to the starboard hatch into the cargo bay, on her way to the elevator.

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

Doctor Chakwas looked up as Liara burst authoritatively into the medbay.

"I need to talk to Captain Anderson, and I need to talk to him now." The Asari had taken a commanding tone that Chakwas had never heard from Liara before. She didn't give the appearance that she liked it.

"I'm sure the captain would be more than happy to accept a call from you, my dear." Chakwas picked up her tea and turned back to her terminal.

"I cannot be the one to call him. There are too many who would make much of the head of House T'Soni reaching out to the military liaison to the Alliance Embassy on the Citadel. I need you to call him."

The look on Chakwas' face as she turned back face Liara spoke volumes. She didn't like this tone from the maiden at all. "What's the rush? The Normandy is still on lockdown. We aren't going anywhere."

"That is exactly the problem Karin. We are not going anywhere."

"You've lost me."

"We are not going anywhere, but Shepard very well might. We cannot allow that to happen."

"I don't think Shepard is going to Ilos while the Normandy is trapped at the Citadel."

"Why not?"

"Again, you've lost me."

"The Normandy is on lockdown, but Shepard is not. Every other ship on the Citadel is not. She has already made jokes about getting to Ilos via shuttle or commercial transport. I believe that it is only her strong moral compass that has not allowed her to follow that chain of thought to the logical conclusion."

"That she should buy a ticket to Ilos?"

Liara sighed in obvious exasperation. "That she should steal a ship."

Chakwas found herself laughing out loud, practically in the maiden's face. "Shepard would never steal a ship."

Liara's countenance had clouded at Karin's laughter. Her tone hardened even further. "There is a reason that spectres are immune to prosecution Karin. It is because they are expected to overcome situations exactly like the one that Shepard finds herself in. In so doing, they will often perform actions that are in violation of the laws of Citadel Space. I know that Humanity does not yet have a great deal of experience in galactic affairs, but I assure you that if Shepard were to leave the Normandy, walk to the civilian docks, select a fast ship, shoot the owner and depart, that the Council would turn a blind eye."

"Oh, please. The Council would have a fit," Chakwas scoffed. "They're the reason the Normandy's on lockdown."

"Actually, the last thing the Council said to Shepard about her mission was that if Saren was truly the threat, then she should act on it. All that the Council has declined was Shepard's request for deployment of the Citadel fleet to Ilos. Shepard's original orders from the Council about Saren have never changed." Liara paused, pensively. "I believe that both Shepard and the Alliance are acting on a false assumption."

"And that is?" Chakwas asked tiredly.

"That Human morals apply in this case."

"And I would argue that Shepard's aforementioned 'moral compass' is one of the reasons that she was selected as a spectre."

Liara waved away the response. "Of course, but now that she is a spectre, the criteria by which she was selected to become one is unimportant." The maiden took a breath. "Through my melds with Shepard, the imprints the Prothean beacons left in her mind, I have seen the destruction of galactic civilization. Against such horror, such death and destruction, how does the theft one one ship fare? The loss of one life?"

"Liara! Are you of all people trying to tell me that the ends justify the means?"

"Never. Nor would the Council." She grinned tightly. "That is why they created the Spectre Corps. They exist so individual council members would not have to be the ones to make such a statement. If certain events occur during a mission, and the Council is not made aware until after the fact, such collateral damage is viewed as unfortunate and regretful, but necessary."

Chakwas had a sour look on her face. "I don't like the sound of that at all."

"Few do. However, the Council has created a situation of plausible deniability, token reparations, and again, immunity from prosecution. That's a remarkable amount of power, amounting to near total freedom from oversight. The potential abuse of that power is one of many reasons that spectres as a whole tend to be regarded with suspicion."

Chakwas looked uncertain, but Liara could sense that she was on the verge of convincing the doctor. She decided to push just a little harder, counting on the doctor's relationship with the commander. "You have known Shepard far longer than I. If you think that I am being an alarmist, I accept your judgement, and will join you for some of that tea. Shepard believes that Saren is the route that the Reapers will use to gain access to the Citadel. She believes that the Council's plan is insufficient to stop him from achieving his goal, and that he needs to be confronted and stopped directly. She knows where the Conduit, his intermediate goal, is located. Ambassador Udina has closed the Normandy off as a means to intercepting Saren at Ilos. My question to you is: Will she accept this, or will her attempts to get to Ilos by any means possible continue to escalate?"

Liara waited while Chakwas silently stared back at her. After a moment, the doctor looked away, clearly disoriented by the intensity of the young Asari. Liara could see that her friend was having difficulty coming to terms with both the message, and the messenger. She took the doctor's continuing silence to mean that she was having difficulty coming up with a reasonable rebuttal to her arguments. Hopefully that was because there were none, not just because her introverted ward had suddenly demonstrated unforeseen assertiveness. Alaya, Tevos, Sha'ira, and now Karin. It seemed she was a surprise to everyone these days. Liara chose to ignore the fact that her recent aggressive streak only seemed to reveal itself when Shepard was in need.

The doctor finally broke her silence. "Liara," the doctor hesitated again before continuing. "I just don't see Shepard being able to do what you describe. Even in the face of the devastation you depict, I believe that she would rather fight and lose without giving up her humanity, as opposed to becoming what she abhors." When Liara attempted to interject, she continued. "Still, you have me at a disadvantage, my dear. You have seen what she's seen, in the form of the message from the beacons. I don't believe that mere words can do justice to the destruction of a galaxy spanning civilization."

"But I'm not going to just turn you loose on the Captain. You're obviously emotionally involved, and David has a chivalrous streak a mile wide. The last thing I need is for him to do is make a rash decision."

Chakwas activated her omni-tool, and punched in a comm code from memory. "David? How would you like to treat an old friend to lunch?"

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

Shepard usually thrived on challenge, but in this case the novelty had long since worn off.

She realized she needed to take a break when it had become difficult to keep the annoyance out of her voice when talking to Garrus and Tali. Garrus could take it, she knew. The man had dealt with far worse in his career than a grumpy CO. Still, it was unfair to make Tali the target of her frustration. The young Quarian really had a talent for systems, and Shepard knew that if given enough time, Tali could get the ship out of dock.

Shepard also knew that they didn't have that time.

When she found herself on the verge of offering yet one more impractical suggestion to Tali, she knew she was done, at least for the moment. She allowed the comment to die on her lips, and instead used the opportunity to announce that she was going in search of coffee. Tali's relief was apparent by body language alone, while Garrus simply cocked his head in a manner that stated "Good timing, Commander."

Although not having left the engineering and cargo spaces since breakfast, food was still the furthest thing from the Commander's mind. She tried to create some enthusiasm around the idea of coffee, but by the time the elevator deposited her on the crew deck, even the thought of that elixir of life was unappealing.

Instead, she entered the common area without a clear destination in mind. She shuffled past Liara, who was reading a datapad at one of the tables in the mess, and ended up in front of her locker. For a moment, she made motions to open it, a half formed thought about retrieving some of her more exotic electronic implements, but even that ambition fled has she heard Liara's quiet footsteps come up behind her.

Shepard turned and sank to the floor with her back to the lockers as she looked up an the Asari. They were silent for a moment. Shepard had nothing to offer, and after a time Liara was the first to speak.

"Shepard, I am so sorry."

"It's not your fault."

"It is not right. You did everything they asked and more. No one else could have done what you did! The Council owes you everything, yet they allow you to be grounded."

"I don't care if they ground me, but they refuse to go after Saren. If they don't stop him from reaching the Conduit, we're all dead. Don't worry. We're out of the game for now, but I'll find a way back in." Shepard was surprised as a look of anxiety crossed Liara's face, as if that news concerned her.

"I believe in you Shepard. I am with you every step of the way."

With that, Liara stepped forward, with the intent of offering physical support as well. Shepard reached up to take the hand Liara offered. As Liara started to pull the commander from the floor, Shepard pushed off against the lockers behind her, severely underestimating the amount of force Liara was going to use to lift her up from her seated position. Shepard found herself wildly off balance, having to grasp Liara's shoulder to keep from crashing into the young Asari.

Shepard blinked in surprise, suddenly standing practically nose to nose with Liara. Liara, for her part, neither released her grip nor moved away. Shepard wondered briefly what constituted personal space for an Asari, and that whatever it was, she was likely very much inside it.

"You're a lot stronger than you look," she whispered.

That prompted the beginning of a smile on purple lips. "I know," Liara replied, equally quietly. "Even without my training, I did grow up in a gravity field almost forty percent stronger than you did." She still didn't pull away.

Shepard stared into the Asari's blue eyes, eyes that gazed enticingly back at her. 'Oh, what the hell,' she thought. She allowed herself to relax even as Liara pulled her closer, the dazzling blue eyes just beginning to close...

"Sorry to interrupt, Commander." Joker's voice came blaring over the shipboard PA. "Got a message from Captain Anderson."

They both started at the interruption, and Shepard felt Liara's shoulders tighten at the name. She pulled back as she addressed her next comment to the ceiling. "Are you spying on us Joker?"

"No Ma'am," came the reply. "Just knew you were on the ship and thought I'd pass the message on. Captain said to meet him at Flux, that club down in the wards."

"I know where it is Joker."

Liara moved to her side. "You should probably go meet with him." There was a note of urgency to her voice.

"I will. We will." Again, she directed her comment to the ceiling. "Joker, tell Garrus to suit up. We're going to a club."

"Aye, aye."

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

Tevos found herself growing bored.

Even though boredom was a rare occurrence for her, the councilor had been a politician far to long to ever let something as banal as ennui show on her face. Still, she'd been standing in her office's comm alcove for nearly 5 hours and her mind kept returning to her conversation with the Consort the day prior. Sha'ira had been trying to tell her something without telling her. Something deeper than just to have faith in Shepard, but so far she had been unable to ascertain what it was, and how it might be related to the T'Soni maiden. Sha'ira's gift of words had been no help on that front, and had only served to annoy Tevos as she continued to search for hidden meanings.

She brought the room back into focus as she returned her attention to the image projected in front of her. It wouldn't do for the Turian ambassador to be provided with opportunity to point out a visible lapse she might make in her role as a councilor. There was little danger of that she thought, as she allowed herself a glance at the projections of her fellow councilors to her left and right. One benefit to hundreds of years of being a politician was that she could effortlessly maintain decorum even in the face of nearly limitless monotony. They presented a united front to the galaxy yes, but the sparring for advantage was just as active between councilors as it was between their respective member races.

Tevos might physically be alone, but to the eyes of the Elcor ambassador, as well as the audience in the council chamber, she presented a regal presence as she appeared to stand between Valern and Sparatus. The reason for her escalating level of boredom stood before her. Calyn had been the first, and so far only petitioner to be granted hearing today. The Elcor had been expounding on his displeasure with yet another fine point of the trade agreement between the Courts of Dekuuna and the Vol Protectorate. Ten years as ambassador, and it was still very nearly the only subject the Elcor ever brought before the Council. Tevos believed that Din Korlack deliberately antagonized Calyn to create these episodes. Between the complexity of the agreement with the Volus, the Elcor's speed of delivery, and Valern's nearly constant interruptions trying to hurry the process along, Korlack could count on nearly a full day unimpeded by Council requests any time he incited Calyn to lodge a protest.

Having already read the Elcor's formal petition before his arrival, Tevos was convinced she wasn't missing anything of relevance as Valern and Calyn continued to go back and forth. She allowed her mind to return to Sha'ira. As such, it took her a brief moment to register when Calyn's image suddenly had a projection of Matriarch Lidanya superimposed upon it.

"My apologies for the interruption while the Council is in session," began Lidanya, "but there has been a security breach at the Alliance docks."

Valern responded before the Fleet Commander could continue. "Why are you disturbing the Council with this trivia? Inform C-Sec, or instruct the Humans to handle their problem themselves." He waved his hand in dismissal.

The matriarch pressed on. "I would never intrude under normal circumstances Councilor, but in this case the breach involves a spectre."

Tevos' attention suddenly became laser focused. She had no doubt which spectre, nor to the nature of the security breach.

Sparatus spoke quickly, as if trying to avert a response from Tevos. "If the breach involves a spectre, inform the Humans that as such, they are acting under Council authority, and the Alliance may submit a requisition for costs incurred. However," he continued, "the Council would look favorably on Humanity supporting a spectre in the performance of their duties without attempting to exact reparation."

Tevos was surprised at the lack of insight being shown by her colleagues. Could it be possible that she was incorrect in her intuition?

Lidanya's next comment dashed all of Tevo's doubt. "Councilors, the Normandy has broken the Alliance lockdown. She engaged her stealth systems almost immediately, but before leaving visual range she could be observed to be following a course to the relay."

"Impossible! The Council has forbidden it! Send the fleet to intercept at once!" Valern's normally rapid speech accelerated to the point where he was almost incomprehensible. "The ship may be invisible to sensors, but you well know their destination. Using FTL you can reach the relay first and prevent transit!"

"Belay that order!" Sparatus' thundering voice easily drowned out Valern, and virtually demanded the attention of the Tevos and the Salarian counsellor. Tevos could only imagine what it sounded like echoing through the Council chamber. He voiced his next comment to Valern. "You order an intercept? Why? To bring her back? Bring her back so we can talk?" He spat that last. "I tire of talking to Shepard. It's time she started acting like a spectre. She's had an unprecedented amount of contact with us since being granted her status. I for one, am pleased to see her finally acting like a spectre should. Spectres are supposed to act, not incessantly seek permission and approval. If we wanted that, we could use agents with a more public profile, or even our respective militaries. This is the behavior I expect from someone in tactics and recon. I would never allow a bureaucrat to get in the way of a mission. I'm amazed, and disappointed, that she waited this long." He turned his attention to Lidanya. "Fleet Commander. Shepard is acting under Council authority. If the Systems Alliance would like details, they may submit an inquiry through formal channels."

The image of Matriarch Lidanya had neither looked to the left or right during the exchange among the councilors, her focus having remained on the Asari councilor. Tevos would have to talk to her about that. Lidanya had no small amount of loyalty to the Republics, and allegiance to Tevos specifically to be sure, but in her role as the commander of the Citadel fleet she had to place the desires of the Council as a whole above the interests of the Republics. She needed to give that appearance, at any rate.

"Councilor Tevos?" The sound of her name from Lidanya's lips had become itself, a question. With Valern and Sparatus in disagreement, the deciding vote was hers. 'Perhaps, as it should be,' thought Tevos. 'My actions played no small part in bringing this set of occurrences about.'

Tevos took a deep breath. She made her decision almost the moment that Lidanya's visage had appeared before her. She wished that it had been part of a well thought out strategy, or even a strong agreement with Shepard's argument about the Reapers. It wasn't, and she knew it. "She won't disappoint you." Sha'ira had said. She bowed her head. "Let her go," she said in a quiet voice.

"Councilor?" Lidanya looked as if she was not expecting that response.

Tevos looked up. "Let her go," she said again, her voice firm this time. "Do not intervene in the Normandy's departure." With that, she broke connection. The Council session had run nearly an hour over anyway, and with luck Valern and Sparatus would unify to condemn her breach of protocol as opposed to continuing to discuss the Normandy's flight.

'Don't disappoint me Shepard.'

A/N: Assumptions here include:
FemShep/Liara (Finally! Yay! That took what, 27 chapters?)
Later ME1 - after Feros, Noveria, Virmire and this is the 6th story of the Cari'ssi'mi series

Shepard is:
Colonist / Vanguard / War Hero

As always, feedback is welcome and desired.